


Countdown to Christmas

by Preathea



Category: Original Work
Genre: Christmas, F/F, Shifters, Snow, Squirrels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:01:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 6,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28048899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Preathea/pseuds/Preathea
Summary: Amy stumbles upon an isolated cabin when she is caught off guard by a snowstorm.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Female Character
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> I've been reading a lot of shifter stories lately (mostly m//), and my favorite one has been one that included an unusual kind of shifter (hedgehog in that case), so I wanted to try my hand at one. And I felt like writing girls for once, so, here you go. The chapters are short. Hope you enjoy.

The door burst open, and she stumbled inside, shaking off as much snow as she could. The freak snowstorm had caught her completely off guard. The day had started out sunny, so she had worn her lightest winter coat and some thin gloves. Both were now soaked through as well as the hand-knitted blue hat that she’d stolen from her brother. Thankfully, whatever building she had stumbled upon on her hike seemed to be outfitted with heating of some sort. She slammed the door shut behind her and closed her eyes, sighing in relief at the sudden absence of cold wind blowing against her. 

After taking a moment to enjoy the warmth, she opened her eyes and looked around the room. Almost immediately, she spotted a fireplace across from her, and she hurried to sit in front of it, pulling off her gloves and hat and warming her pale (turning dangerously blue) hands and toes as close to it as she dared before sitting with her back to the fire to look around the rest of the room. The rest of the room was quiet plain. A small couch sat in front of the fireplace, dark brown and worn looking. The room lacked the traditional hunting décor she would have expected from such an isolated place. Maybe it was a place for the park rangers to rest if they got caught out here. That would explain the lack of personalization in it. 

“Amy, Amy, Amy,” she chided herself under her breath. “Why did you think a hike in the snow would be a good idea?” She rubbed her hands up her arms as she looked around the rest of the cabin, venturing away from the fire only when she was warmed through. Directly to the right of the living space she’d walked into was a kitchen and dining combination area. Amy wondered if whoever owned this place kept it stocked just in case. She’d check later. For now, she wanted to know what she had to work with until the snow died down and melted long enough for her to get back down to the city. 

She turned to the other side of the cabin, and the one door that led to the left side. She opened it and saw something move out of her view. Jumping back, she let the door slam shut again. Taking a deep breath, she placed a hand on her heart and willed herself to calm down. Surely, it was just someone else taking refuge from the storm. Or it was a park ranger, or the owner. Nothing to be afraid of. 

Amy opened the door, much more slowly this time, and called, “Hello?” No one answered, so she stepped tentatively through the door into a bedroom outfitted with two bunk beds on either side of the room. “Is anybody here?” Still no answer. Amy sighed and stepped out of the room. Whoever was here with her clearly didn’t want to be bothered. Still, she should let them know why she was in their home. “I’m just waiting out the storm,” she called back into the room. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’ll leave as soon as I can.” 

She retreated all the way back into the main room of the cabin, turning around and leaning her back against the now closed door. The squishy feeling at her back told her that her sweatshirt under her jacket had gotten wet in the storm as well, and she wrinkled her nose as she stood away from the door. Sighing, she looked around and found another door at the far end of the kitchen. She crept to it and opened it hopefully. A washer and dryer were stacked in the small space. Grinning she ripped her jacket up, followed by her sweatshirt, leaving only the t-shirt she was wearing under that over her skin. 

Goosebumps formed as soon as the wet fabric left her skin, and she shivered at the chill that settled over her. She would go back to the fire while this dried, she decided, throwing the sweatshirt into the dryer and turning it on. It was a loud machine but as she closed the door behind her, the room seemed to minimize the noise. She wandered back to the couch in front of the fire, curling up under her coat and staring at the flames.


	2. Meeting

Amy didn’t know when she’d fallen asleep, but she blinked her eyes and sat up, looking around herself slowly as she remembered getting caught in a snowstorm and rushing into the first shelter she could find. Groping around, she found her phone, which had fallen out of her jacket pocket as she slept and pushed a button to take it out of sleep mode. Glowing white letters on a dark screen read “12:39.” 

Fuck. She pushed herself up, shivering in the dark. The fire was still burning, but it had died down a little. First, she needed to get her sweater back. She rushed to the small room at the back of the kitchen but found her sweater hanging on the door. Frowning, she grabbed it and pulled it on, pulling her brown hair out of the back before turning around. She froze when she saw a woman standing behind her in what looked like lounge clothes. Black hair tipped with a natural red hue hung to her waist and around her shoulders, clinging to the dark tan skin of her neck.

“Sorry,” they spoke at the same time, and then stopped. Amy smiled ruefully. “I’m sorry for disturbing you,” she continued when it looked like the woman wasn’t going to continue. “I just needed to get out of the snow before it buried me.” She gestured toward the door. The woman nodded. 

“Sorry for not greeting you earlier. It’s just… I was in the shower when you came in, and….” The woman flushed red, and Amy felt her cheeks heat up as well. She chuckled lightly and nodded. “Well… When I was finally finished, you were already asleep. I made some soup.” The woman pointed to a crockpot on the counter. “It should still be warm if you want some. Or I could make you some hot cocoa… It’s just instant.” She shrugged.

“I’d like that. Both actually, if you don’t mind,” Amy said, absently rubbing her stomach. She hadn’t eaten since she’d stopped for lunch on what was supposed to be the turnaround of her hike. Now, there was no way she was getting back to town for a while. “Do you have much reception out here? I need to make a call… not now, obviously.” It was midnight, everyone would still be asleep. Except the most devout of her cousins and nephews who might be up watching for any sign of Santa. 

The woman reached into a cabinet near the crockpot and pulled out a bowl, setting it next to the pot. She grabbed a mug and moved to a different counter where a coffeemaker stood. She filled the back with water and turned it on. The mug she set next to it before pulling out two spoons, leaving one with the mug and setting the other with the bowl. “It gets spotty during storms, but the snow seems to have died down. You might be able to get better reception from the roof.” She pulled a packet of powdered, instant cocoa from a basket near the coffee maker and ripped it open, pouring the contents into the mug. She pulled out marshmallows and set them next to the mug as well before moving out of the way. “There’s some crackers to have with the soup,” she added gesturing to the open box of saltines before stepping out of the way. 

Amy nodded her thanks and moved to fill the bowl and grab a handful of crackers. She paused before picking everything up and turned to the woman, who stood awkwardly to the side. “I’m Amy, by the way.” 

“Maiara,” the woman said quietly. Amy smiled and grabbed her food. It didn’t seem like Maiara was used to other people being in her space, so she didn’t want to intrude on her too much. It would be better to just eat and not bother her with the incessant questions that were running through Amy’s head.


	3. Prank

The food was good, and even instant, the hot cocoa gave her a warm, sweet feeling in her chest. Amy washed her dishes once done, setting them in the drying rack in the sink. She turned to Maiara and crossed her arms. “So…” she said, “What do you have to do here to pass the time?” Amy couldn’t finish her hike until the sun came up, and that was only if the snow remained light. If it got heavier, she probably wouldn’t be able to make it back down that day. 

Maiara shrugged. “I have a few books in the back,” she said, twisting her hands together. “Not much else.” 

“Well, I guess we’re going to be doing some talking, then,” Amy said with a smile. Maiara nodded, her face revealing that she wasn’t happy about the idea. Amy frowned. “Or we could sit here in silence.” That idea didn’t seem to appeal either, but Maiara didn’t seem quick to open up. Amy sighed and moved to sit on the couch. Maiara trailed after her, standing awkwardly next to the couch, acting as if this was not her home but Amy’s. Amy rolled her eyes. “Sit down. There’s plenty of room for both of us.” She wasn’t that large, after all, though Maiara was much smaller than her.   
Maiara sat tentatively on the edge of the couch, her hands in her lap, and she seemed to be trying to make herself as small as possible. “What are you afraid of?” Amy asked after a moment, pursing her lips. Most people didn’t find her intimidating, but Maiara seemed to be terrified. Amy didn’t think she’d done anything to necessarily give her that feeling. 

Maiara shook her head at the question and wrung her hands. “You can talk to me, you know? You can even tell me things you couldn’t tell others. I’m a stranger, and once I can head home, you probably won’t ever see me again.” 

Maiara still didn’t say anything, but a loud bang outside the cabin drew Amy’s attention to the window. “What was that?” She asked, her question barely audible. She stood up and walked to the window, looking outside. The snow had picked up again, and it was clear that Amy would probably be spending more time here than either of them wanted. She couldn’t see anything through the blistering snow, let alone whatever had caused that noise. Frowning, she turned back to Maiara to see if she knew anything more. 

But Maiara wasn’t on the couch. The pajamas she had worn were in a pile on the floor, and something was wriggling around in them. Amy’s frown deepened, and she stepped closer to the couch. Glancing around the room, she called, “Maiara?” She didn’t get any response, and the clothes stopped wriggling. A few moments later, a black squirrel head popped out of the collar of the shirt. It was soon followed by a black body and a red tail, which bristled. 

Amy must have been still asleep, she decided. Or Maiara was playing a prank and had had a pet squirrel the whole time. There were weirder animals to keep as pets. Still, she followed the squirrel who had stopped in front of the door to Maiara’s room and was chittering as it sniffed at the gap under the door. It forced its head under, and its body soon followed. There was a thud on the other side of the door, so Amy opened the door. 

Maiara quickly covered herself, and Amy turned around, heat rising to her face. She cleared her throat and said, “Sorry… I’ll…. I’ll be out here.” She let the door close and ran to the couch, covering her face with her hands. She hadn’t seen much, but still, she was fairly sure that this wasn’t part of whatever prank Maiara was playing. God… why had she been naked anyway?


	4. Running

Amy kept her face buried in her hands even when she heard the door behind her open and close again. Maiara sat gingerly next to her and took a shaky breath. “So,” she began gently, “I guess I should explain what just happened.” Amy groaned and nodded. She would appreciate an explanation. 

Maiara didn’t begin the explanation right away. She took a deep breath. “So, my family… all of us are squirrels. Most of my family are of the gray variety, but black squirrels aren’t unheard of in the family. We are usually good at… not shifting on accident, but I’ve always had… less control than everyone else. So when I reached adulthood with less control, they assigned me to watch over this house. They come and stay with me every once in awhile, but when I’m alone, things tend to catch me off guard more.” 

Amy kept her comments to herself, even though she wondered how such a blatant lie was meant to prolong whatever prank this was. Maybe it was a distraction? Whoever had caused the noise outside must be setting up another part. Because none of what Maiara was saying made any sense. Squirrels? Shifting? Control? It was all a fantasy. Yes, Amy had seen a black squirrel, but that was obviously some sort of pet. Maiara must think she was an idiot to even try. Finally, Amy pulled her head up and shot Maiara a glare. “You can stop lying,” she said. “I know this is some sort of prank.” 

Maiara’s eyes widened and she shook her head. “I – I’m not lying,” she insisted. “It’s the truth.” 

“Come off it,” Amy said, suddenly growing angry. There was no reason for a prank like this. Amy had come into the house uninvited, but that was only because of the storm. Playing tricks on people that were just looking for shelter and a little bit of help was just cruel. “You’ve had your fun, don’t you think? Now stop the lies.” 

Maiara frowned and looked away from Amy for a moment. Then she disappeared. On the couch, her clothes wriggle around and the squirrel from before popped its head out again. Amy’s mind froze, and then she shook her head. This was a dream, it had to be. Maybe she fell asleep out in the snow and had imagined this whole thing. She stumbled off the couch and towards the door. The squirrel followed her, chittering. She backed away towards the door and threw open the door, stumbling into the snow. Surely if she was sleeping, the extreme cold would wake her up. 

Amy turned around and stumbled blindly into the storm. “Wait!” Maiara yelled after her, but her voice was soon stolen by the wind whistling in Amy’s ears. She walked into the snow until she couldn’t walk any longer, and she sank onto her knees in the snow, taking deep breaths. She would wake up any moment. Before she woke up, though, she had to fall asleep. 

She felt the snow against her cheek as her eyes flitted shut, and she let herself be ripped from the dream.


	5. Brother

Amy woke up far warmer than she expected. Too warm. She struggled to throw off what turned out to be a pile of blankets that had been tucked over and around her. When she finally escaped the blankets, she sat up. Moving her legs off the couch, she slowly began to recognize the room. So it hadn’t been a dream. As she took in her surroundings, she heard a hushed conversation from behind the door that Maiara’s room. 

She stood up and crept to the door. Pressing an ear to it, she strained to hear the voices on the other side. 

“She can’t stay here,” Someone – a man by the sounds of the voice – was trying to stay quiet, but Amy could hear the irritation in his voice. “She’s a liability. Just get rid of her, and we won’t have to worry about it.” 

“We can’t just put her back out to freeze.” This was Maiara; her voice was much quieter, though still frantic. “We’re not murderers.” 

“It wouldn’t be murder. She ran out herself. It would be entirely her fault. Not ours.” 

“But we already brought her back in. I’m not kicking her out. Plus, she already knows about me. So she has to stay.” 

“Why do you want her to stay so badly?” Silence followed this question, and Amy strained more to hear the answer. Unfortunately, the door chose that moment to groan under her weight, and she froze. Just before the door swung open, she backed away and held her hands up in a surrendering gesture. 

The man who’d thrown open the door glared at her. Amy could tell that he was related to Maiara, with the same eyes and a very similar skin tone, but his hair was a deep gray rather than black with red tips. Maiara had said something about most of her family being “gray squirrels”, so Amy assumed the different hair color could be attributed to that. 

She blinked at the thought, how easily she was accepting this whole shifter thing suddenly. Before she’d fallen unconscious in the storm, it had seemed impossible. It still seemed impossible, yet, here she was justifying a strange hair color with it. Frowning, she dropped her hands and shook her head of the thoughts. “Who are you?” she asked. 

The man’s glare intensified, and he didn’t answer, turning back to Maiara and snapping, “Deal with this” instead before walking out of the doorway and away from Amy’s view. 

Maiara stepped out, letting the door shut behind her a gave Amy an apologetic smile. “How are you feeling?” She asked, guiding Amy back to the couch and pulling her down to sit next to her. “You were so cold when we found you. I was afraid that you may have gotten sick.” 

Amy waved off her concern. “It’ll take more than a little cold for me to get sick. Who was that?” 

Maiara sighed. “That was my oldest brother. He came by to check on me. I hadn’t realized he was arriving today. 

“Why is he so angry about me being here?” 

Maiara shifted nervously in her seat. “Well… he’s very cautious. He doesn’t like people knowing our secrets.” 

Amy looked up to meet Maiara’s eyes and asked, “Like the shifting thing?” Maiara nodded and Amy sighed. “I still don’t know if I believe that this is reality, but if this is a dream, I do have to accept that it’s not going to be easy to wake up from.” And she did. Falling asleep in the snow had done nothing to change her circumstances. And even if she was awake and these two were crazy, she didn’t really have any choice but to stay here and at least pretend to believe them until the storm finished.


	6. Waking

Maiara looked at Amy after her admission and reached out hesitantly to take her hands. “It’s not a dream, I swear,” she said, squeezing. Amy’s gaze lingered on their hands as warmth spread through hers. “I know it can be hard to accept, but it’s the truth.” 

If it was, then there were more mysteries in the world than anyone knew. Amy was fine with that, really. At least on a conscious level. Her subconscious struggled to accept that people who could become squirrels existed. “Why did you tell me?” Amy asked suddenly, looking up at Maiara’s face. Sure, she had accidently seen Maiara as a squirrel, but there were easy ways to explain away the squirrel. She needn’t have told Amy the truth. 

Maiara was silent for a moment, her hands still squeezing Amy’s. Then she sighed and pulled her hands away. Amy lamented the loss of the warmth for a moment before focusing her attention back on Maiara. “It’s hard to explain,” the woman said, crossing her legs and clasping her hands around her top knee. “I just… I felt like I had to. You’d seen me, and, while I could have come up with an excuse, I’m sure, I didn’t want to. I felt like you should know the truth.” Maiara frowned and turned to meet Amy’s gaze. “I know we don’t know each other – at all, but something compelled me to trust you.” 

Amy frowned. She certainly found Maiara attractive; the woman was gorgeous, but she didn’t feel any supernatural connection with her. “I’m not sure trusting a complete stranger with such an important secret is wise.” 

“See, Maia? Even the human thinks you’re a fool.” The man had returned, arms crossed over his chest as he walked towards them from the bedroom. “We should wipe her memory and get rid of her.” 

Maiara glared at her brother and shook her head. “Absolutely not,” she said. “We are not throwing her out into the snow to die.” 

“I second that,” Amy said quickly, looking between the siblings. “I’d like to not die. And what is this about wiping memories?” 

“It’s just something some shifters, like my brother can do through… umm… exchange of bodily fluids. He can manipulate memories.” 

“Don’t worry, human,” the man said, grinning at her. “I’ve had a lot of practice. I can change up your memories without you ever knowing.” 

Amy frowned. “So why is it so important for you to get rid of me now, if you’re so good at changing memories, why can’t you just do it later?” 

“The longer length of time I have to change, the longer the kiss will have to last.” His grin widened. “Do you want to make out with me, little human?” Amy rolled her eyes. She wasn’t little in the least, and although the man was no less physically attractive than his sister, his personality left a lot to be desired. 

“Don’t do it, Talako,” Maiara said, standing up and in front of Amy. “I won’t let you.” 

“Why are you so protective of her?” he asked, his grin fading to be replaced by a scowl. “She’s a human that you just met. She’s not one of us.” 

“That doesn’t matter,” Maiara growled. “She’s mine!”


	7. Claims

Amy’s eyes snapped to Maiara at that statement, and she frowned at the possessiveness. Something about it made her stomach twist, and she stood up and crossed her arms. Maiara, for her part, seemed to regret saying such a thing out loud. She turned to Amy, her eyes pleading. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that.” Then she winced. “I mean… I didn’t mean to say it like that. I…” She trailed off, and Amy relaxed a little bit. 

She didn’t know Maiara well, but what she did know was that Maiara was not typically aggressive. “What did you mean to say?” Amy asked, keeping caution in her voice. Still, she softened her gaze and tried for a smile to help Maiara stay calm. 

“I –“ Maiara cut herself off, looking back at her brother whose glare had intensified. She turned back to Amy. “It’s a shifter thing. I, um, don’t think you’d really understand it.” 

“Try to explain it?” Amy titled her head and dropped her arms to her sides. Maiara seemed just as skittish as a squirrel would be; Amy didn’t want to scare her away from her explanation. “It seems like it might be important.” 

“Look,” Talako interjected before Maiara could respond, “The more you know about us, human, the more I have to erase. If we erase too much of your memory, your mind can’t fill in the blanks well enough, and you’ll end up either crazy or remembering everything. You can’t get involved in our world, so just go to sleep until the storm stops. And once you can be on your way, I’ll erase your memories of these conversations, and you’ll be fine.”

“What happened to throwing me out?” Amy shot at him, her glare returning. “I thought your whole schtick was that you didn’t care what happened to me?” 

“I don’t, but I do care about my sister. And she does care what happens to you.” 

“Tala,” Maiara finally spoke, looking between the two of them. “I don’t want her to forget.” 

“That’s not something I can give you,” Talako said, shaking his head. “You know our laws. She can’t stay.” 

“Unless I claim her.” Amy raised an eyebrow and turned her gaze to Maiara. She wasn’t going to be claimed by anyone. She didn’t know what it meant, but she had a feeling it was related to Maiara’s earlier possessiveness. 

“No one is claiming me,” Amy said, her glare focusing on Maiara now. 

The woman flinched, but she didn’t retract the statement. “If I claim her, or have the intent to claim her, you have no right to erase her memories without both of our consent.” Amy really didn’t like the thought of someone else having to agree if she did want to forget all of this. It was too controlling. Overly so. Sometimes being dominated was great, but she barely knew Maiara and this was about her memories. It was her choice, and no one else’s. Still, she had no idea what was going on, so she kept her thoughts to herself. 

Talako was not pleased with this new development, and he grabbed Maiara and pulled her away to whisper angrily at her in the kitchen. Amy sat back down, sighing. She’d just have to wait for an explanation then.


	8. Soulmate

The siblings spoke for a while, and Amy grew impatient. She strained to hear something of what they were talking about, but from her seat on the couch, she could hear snatches of conversation that didn’t make any sense together. Sighing, she leaned back and spied her phone on the couch near her. She grabbed it. She unlocked it and checked her signal. There still wasn’t much of one, and the snow outside didn’t seem to be stopping, so she was going to be stuck with these two for a little while longer. 

Talako threw his hands up in frustration and walked back into the bedroom. Maiara watched him go, her arms crossed in front of her. When the door slammed shut behind him, she dropped her arms and sighed. Walking back to Amy, she gave her a strained smile and sat down next to her. 

“So…?” Amy prompted, dropping her phone to her lap and arching a brow. 

Maiara sighed again. She took a moment to consider her answer, and Amy waited as patiently as she could, her leg bouncing in place. Maiara placed a hand on it to still it before she spoke. “So… shifters all have someone that is meant for them. Kind of like soulmates, but there are physical complications to this connection for shifters. Usually, we are bonded to other shifters, but sometimes, things get complicated.” 

“Complicated how?” 

“When a shifter bonds with a human, it risks more than just their safety. You have to understand. Humans are notorious for not being able to accept those that are different form them. If they knew about people like me – like us,” she gestured towards the door her brother had gone through as she spoke, “I don’t think I want to imagine what would happen. “

Genocide, mass imprisonment and experimentation, witch hunts, all of those were options. Amy shuddered at the thought. She understood why they didn’t want more people to know. She still didn’t understand the claiming thing, and Maiara seemed to be avoiding the subject. “And claiming? What does that mean?” 

“It’s not what you might think,” Maiara immediately responded. “I know there are stories about werewolves and the like, with claiming that is painful and bloody.” She shuddered this time, and Amy echoed the sentiment. “It’s different for other shifters, so I guess for some of them it might be painful. For us – for squirrels – it’s more just a feeling than any physical act. If I claim you, you’re my responsibility and under the protection of my family. You do have to keep the whole shifting thing a secret, but if you don’t, it will be me that is punished for it, as you’re not under their jurisdiction. So… it’s just a way for you to not have your memories removed.” 

Amy frowned. There was something missing from her explanation, and Amy figured it had to do with the soulmate thing. Maiara was either afraid that it would upset her or embarrassed by it. Either way, Amy needed her to be truthful. “And how is this connected to the soulmate thing?” 

Maiara averted her eyes and whispered something under her breath. Amy frowned and nudged her with her elbow. Taking a shaky breath, Maiara drew her eyes back up to meet Amy’s and said, “You’re my soulmate.”


	9. Question

Amy shook her head after Maiara’s revelation. Soulmates. There was no way. Even if they did exist, you couldn’t know something like that after having spent only a few hours in someone’s company. Surely, it was something that took time to know. “How do you figure?” Amy asked softly. 

Maiara sighed, seemingly in relief at the lack of anger or panic from Amy. “Well, we just know. There’s a connection between us that I can feel. It’s not a feeling I can describe either. You’re human, so you won’t feel it, but as a shifter, a being with magic flowing through my very core, I can feel that connection. It’s there, I promise.” 

Magic flowing through her? That was the first she’d said of something like that. Clearly, there was still a lot about this whole thing that Amy didn’t understand. Her primary concern right now, though, was the soulmate thing. “And if I don’t believe you?” Maiara slumped forward at this, shaking her head before putting it in her hands. “What? Does something happen to you if I don’t stay and be claimed?” 

“No, nothing like that,” Maiara said, her voice quiet, “It’s just – soulmates are rare. Not everyone finds theirs. I’m the first in my family. If you walk away… it would just be a shame to miss this opportunity. Couldn’t you try? It doesn’t have to be anything serious, of course, just a date – maybe two – before you decide it’s not worth it.” 

Amy raised a brow and smiled. “Are you asking me on a date?” 

“I guess I am,” Maiara said, looking up again. “Once the storm dies down, and we can get out of here, do you want to get some coffee or something?” 

“Maybe a full breakfast?” Amy teased lightly, as a blush came across Maiara’s face. Amy certainly found Maiara attractive, and she couldn’t deny that the whole shifting thing was interesting. Still, she wasn’t certain she wanted such a complication in her life. She valued her normalcy and dating someone who turned into a squirrel when she got frightened wasn’t exactly the epitome of normal. 

Still, Maiara wasn’t asking for much, just a chance, and from what Amy could tell in the few hours they’d spent in each other’s company, she was a nice woman. Certainly the kind to help a stranger caught in an emergency, but was that just because she had known about this ‘connection’ she said they had? Amy met Maiara’s hopeful gaze and tilted her head. “Let me ask you a question. Would you be fighting so hard for my safety if you didn’t believe I was your soulmate?”


	10. Strength

Maiara didn’t answer immediately, and Amy nodded in response to the silence. That’s what she had assumed. Without this strange mystical connection, was Maiara the type of person who would make a concerted effort to help others? It didn’t seem like it. 

“I can’t say that I would try as hard without that,” Maiara finally began speaking after a few minutes of silence. “But I’d like to think that I wouldn’t let my brother hurt anyone for my sake.” It went unsaid that she would probably allow him to erase their memory without a fight. 

Amy frowned. “I don’t know if I can even try to be with some who doesn’t always fight for what’s right,” she said, meeting Maiara’s gaze. “What if you find out that you were mistaken about me? Would you give up immediately and let your brother wipe my memory? What if someone else from my family discovers your secret? Will you force me to stand by and have their memory be erased? Or a stranger? I can’t promise to just let you erase people’s memories or worse just because they find out about. And I don’t think I can be with someone who thinks that is okay to do.” 

Maiara’s eyes looked wet, as if she was about to cry, and Amy felt an ache in her chest at the sight, but she forced the feeling away. She had to be honest, even if it resulted in heartbreak for the girl. Better now, when they knew so little about their compatibility and before they had formed a real bond, then for her to go out with her and learn later that they really were incompatible. The hurt would be worse then. 

“I’ll try to be better.” Maiara brushed the tears away before they fell. “I’ve never thought it was right, but it was what was done. I know –“ She inhaled shakily before continuing, “I know that doesn’t make it better, but I can change. Please Amy, let me try.” 

Amy pursed her lips. It wasn’t a matter of letting her try. Maiara should try to be better regardless of Amy. “You should just try. No matter what I decide,” she said, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. “It shouldn’t be a condition on dating someone. You should just always be trying to be better.” 

“I will,” Maiara insisted. “So will you give me – give this – a chance?” 

“Or would you rather I just erase your memories now?” Amy whipped her gaze to Talako who leaned back against the door that he’d shut behind him when he’d left. She rolled her eyes at the repetition in his behavior. 

“Tala,” Maiara’s voice was low enough to be a growl at this point. “I already told you that you can’t.”


	11. Compromise

Talako snorted, arms crossed over his chest. “Are you going to stop me?” He raised an eyebrow. “She has one thing right, Mai. You’ll never be strong enough to get in the way. You think you can, but you know what needs to be done to protect us – all of us. We’re not warriors. If humans decided to eradicate us because we let someone outside know about us, we would have no way to stop them. Keeping the knowledge to us and those close to the clan is the only way to protect us.” 

Maiara frowned, shaking her head. Amy could empathize with Talako’s worries but taking someone’s memories without their consent still wasn’t right. There had to be some alternative. She opened her mouth to say something, but then thought better of it. This was Maiara’s fight. It was her chance to prove that she was willing to make an effort, even though Amy hadn’t committed to giving her a chance. 

Maiara looked at Amy for a moment before speaking. Amy kept her face impassive, wanting the woman to answer without influence from her. It wasn’t an entirely uninfluenced decision, but at least taking a stand here would say something. Maiara turned back to her brother, standing up, and said, “It’s not right. Even… even if Amy doesn’t want me, we have to let her go - with her memories.” She met her brother’s gaze and stood up. “No claiming, no forcefully erasing her memories. We have to find a different way to protect ourselves.” 

Talako narrowed his eyes and let his hands drop to his side. “You’re the reason we’re in this mess, and you won’t let me fix your mistake?” 

Maiara shook her head. “We have to trust her.” Mustering a weak smile, she added, “Besides, who would believe her?” 

Talako shook his head. It looked for a moment like he was going to continue to argue, but finally, he sighed and leaned back against the door. “If this goes wrong, you’re taking responsibility for it, Mai. And I will hunt her down.” Maiara glanced at Amy and nodded in response. 

Amy smiled thinly. “I don’t really like the threat, but this means I don’t have to kiss you right?” 

Talako couldn’t hold back the smile at the comment and he snorted again, nodding. “Yeah, you can kiss my sister if she still wants you to.” 

Amy laughed as Maiara’s face darkened in her embarrassment. “Maybe in the future.” She stood up next to Maiara. “First, maybe we could get some coffee?” Maiara smiled and nodded. There was a lot to sort out, but Amy didn’t think it would hurt to at least try to become friends with the woman.


	12. Christmas

The rest of the morning passed in conversation and, eventually, a few games. The snow stopped, and the build-up wasn’t bad enough to keep Amy from saying her goodbyes, exchanging numbers with Maiara, and then making her way down the mountain. 

The hike down was a few hours, and her car was still exactly where she had parked it. She drove home, took a shower, and still made it to her parent’s house on time for their yearly family celebrations. No one knew anything had gone happened, and she didn’t tell anyone. When she arrived home that night, though, she was exhausted. She took another shower, laid down, and was ready for sleep to take her. 

Her phone buzzed from her bedside table, and she opened her eyes, glaring at the light. She grabbed the phone, and her annoyance dissipated when she saw it was Maiara. She opened the text, an invitation to coffee, and smiled. She shot back an agreement and an address for a café that she liked in town. Sleep didn’t evade her this time. 

\---

The morning found Amy behind schedule. She grabbed her phone, stuffing it in her purse, as she struggled to get her shoes on at the same time. She left the apartment, locking the door hastily behind her before walking to her car, calming herself down. 

She arrived at the café fifteen minutes after their meeting time, hoping that Maiara had stayed to wait. Opening the door, she spotted the woman glancing worriedly around and waved at her. They locked eyes and smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> Finally got the last three chapters re-written. They were probably better the first time, but at least this is finished now. I hope the end isn't too rushed; I was tired of thinking about and dreading rewriting this, and I didn't really have the same motivation I did when I originally wrote it. Hope your holidays were better than mine. :)


End file.
